Beaverton's incoming kindergartners are a bit better prepared than their counter-parts across the state. Here, Barnes Elementary kindergartners Juan Rodriguez, left, Cameron Thiess, and Orion Motzer, right, smell the sage planted on the roof of the Portland State University Science 2 building during a tour last spring to get them excited about college.
(Wendy Owen/Beaverton Leader)

Incoming kinders: Children entering kindergarten in Beaverton were slightly better prepared than their statewide counterparts, according to state figures.

In literacy, Beaverton’s incoming kindergartners were able to name 25 letters out of 100 on a chart of 100 in a minute. Statewide, kids named 19 letters. When it came to knowing letter sounds, Beaverton’s youngest learners got 10 out of 110. Statewide, it was 7.

Alphabet stew: Three Oregonian reporters took the one-minute alphabet test given to incoming kindergartners to see how we would fare compared to the 5-year-olds. Let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty.

One reporter machine-gunned through the chart of 100 letters, noting capitals and lowercased letters, while another used an iPhone stopwatch to ensure the reporter didn’t exceed one minute.

Incoming Beaverton kindergartners made it through 25 letters on average. Oregonian reporters made it through 50-65. “That’s an F!” exclaimed reporter Katherine Driessen, who received the highest score. “I want to take it again.”

Overall, however, all three reporters noted how difficult it is to quickly get through the chart in a minute and wondered about little 5-year-olds still learning their letters. Presumably, reporters know their letters. How well can you do?

Beaverton school board: The Beaverton School Board will meet for a day-long work session on Monday, Feb. 3 at Cedar Hills Middle School to review progress on student academic achievement, technology and teacher quality and a school board self-evaluation.

Sex abuse in schools: Sexual abuse at schools not well tracked, GAO says; a look at recent Oregon allegations The Government Accountability Office released a report this week stating that federal agencies aren’t appropriately tracking sexual abuse occurring in schools nationwide.

The GAO, which investigates issues identified by Congress, reported that the breadth of the abuse in schools -- Kindergarten through 12th grade -- is unclear because data is not effectively tracked.